... to spread the cement of brotherly love and affection, that cement
which unites us into one sacred band or society of brothers, among whom no
contention should ever exist, but that noble emulation of who can best
work or best agree ...

Masonic quotes by Brothers

THE GENIUS OF MASONRY

THE MASONIC
REVIEW - 1855

Our object in this article will be to show
not only what is peculiar to Masonry, but in what respects it
differs from all other associations of a kindred character. Many
have grossly misjudged of Masonry, by regarding it in the light
of a Divine institution. By thus investing it with a sanctity
which never belonged to it, and to which it never made any
claims, the members of the fraternity have been held responsible
for a purity of life and an integrity of deportment even greater
than that which has been required of professors of
religion. Though it has its altar and its priests, its rites and
its ceremonies, yet it does not invade the sanctuary of
religion, nor assume an organization based upon the recognition
of a religious creed, requiring faith therein as a condition
of membership.

It requires no religious tests, save a
belief in God and his revealed will, of any who enter its
hallowed courts. Founded in a belief of the existence of God the
great Jehovah, the supreme Architect and Ruler of the Universe, a
firm and unwavering trust in his goodness and mercy, united with
a belief in the Revelation which he has made to man,
as contained in the Holy Scriptures, it leaves intact the right
of private judgment, thus bringing all men of all creeds
upon one common platform of faith, and uniting them together in
a pure spiritual worship. In the Masonic fraternity an Atheist
is a monster, for whom there can be found no name or place
in all her records.

We can only discuss the principles of
Masonry in the light of a human institution, subjecting those
principles to the common and universal standard of morality. It
is only in contrast, or rather we should say, in comparison
with institutions of a similar character that we can judge of
its peculiarity in respect to all those things which pertain
to man's happiness in the moral and social state. In all
matters pertaining to Church and State regulations concerning
man's faith or politics, the Order stands entirely aloof,
exhibiting its genius only in whatever bears a relation to his
moral and social life. While it embraces the idea of a universal
liberty, a universal equality, and a universal fraternity, it at
the same time wisely guards these greatest of earthly blessings,
and by an ordination peculiar to the Craft, prevents them
from degenerating into an unbridled licentiousness on the
one hand, a wild anarchy on the other, and infidel socialism
on the third. It takes men as they are, in their rude,
native, depraved state - as rough, misshapen blocks from the
quarry of nature - and by the application of those great rules
of social and moral life, upon which the institution is
founded, reduces the human character to a symmetry and beauty
of form such as will make them pillars in the fabric of society.
It claims to "improve the manners and to mend the heart,"
not, however, by a divine or superhuman agency, but by
the inculcation of a rule of life drawn from the holy
Scriptures, most beautifully and impressively symbolized by the
plumb, the level, and the square. Human actions are not left to
the guidance and control of a naked faith, but are reduced to
a science, at once purifying and ennobling.

This is
Masonry, and whoever teaches to the contrary does not deserve to
be dignified with the title of an apprentice to an art whose
characteristics are wisdom, strength, beauty, temperance,
prudence, justice and truth.

But it may be asked, in what
respect does Masonry differ from other institutions of a social
character? and this brings us to a consideration of the genius of
the Order. In reply to this, we remark that the Masonic
Institution differs from all other human institutions both in its
letter and in its spirit. Its peculiarity, in regard to the
letter, consists in, and is exhibited by its ancient
constitutions and landmarks. It has outlived all other human
constitutions, and as it regards its landmarks, though thousands
of centuries have passed away, during which empires and nations
have risen, flourished, fallen, and passed away from the memory
of man, or at most, only live upon the page of history, it may
be said in reference to every thing essential to the integrity
of the institution, that they have not been removed, but
remain unchanged and unchangeable. Other institutions that
have come down from antiquity, through the ever varying
progress of human events, have lost their original character, and
been merged into the spirit of the age, assuming new forms as
the genius of the times have dictated; but Masonry, like
the granite pyramids, with base deeply imbedded in the
plain, and apex pointing to heaven, has stood the shock
of centuries, and towers sublimely over the wrecks of time.
The effacing fingers of decay have not swept one line of
beauty from its calm, benignant features; pediment and plinth
and shaft and capital, arch and key-stone, corner-stone and
cap- stone, remain as entire as when first placed by the
architect, and no symptoms of decay or dissolution are to be
found in the whole temple of the mystic art.

But what were
the temple without the presiding genius? What were the body
without the soul? As the temple of Solomon, on Mount Moriah
without the Divine Shekina, whose glory illumined, and whose
presence inspired its priests and prophets, was drear and
desolate, so the temple of Masonry, though standing in all its
strength and beauty -

"With cornice and frieze and lofty
sculptures graven,"

would be like the rock excavated temples
of Petra, "a habitation for dragons, and a court for owls." If
over the wide arched gateway was not inscribed in letters of
light, "Brotherly love, Relief and Truth," if a masonic faith,
a masonic hope, and a masonic charity did not pervade
the minds and hearts of those who entered and dwelt in
her courts, then would the order exist only in name, a
solemn mockery, a hiss and a bye-word, provoking only
the contempt of the world and the reprobation of
heaven.

The love of others may fail, but a Mason's is lasting
as life and stronger than death. In the day of prosperity
multitudes will flit and flutter around, like the light winged
insects of a summer's day, but no sooner does the dark, stormy
hour of adversity come, than they disappear, and leave
the unfortunate to sadness and despair. The fidelity of
others may fail, and the most solemn asseverations may prove
to have been falsehoods, designed to deceive; but truth,
the foundation of every virtue, is the guiding star of every
upright Mason, and no fear or fraud or favor will for a moment
cause him to swerve from the unerring line.

The faith of
others may falter and their trust in God be shaken by the
waywardness of the world, the uncertainty of earthly events, and
the assaults of infidelity; but the firm foundations of a Mason's
faith can never be moved; founded upon the "rock of ages," the
powers of destruction shall not prevail against it.

The
hopes of others in the dark and trying hour, may yield, and the
heart, sickened by a sad delay, may turn distrustingly away from
the object of its pursuit, but the hope of a Mason is like an
anchor to the soul amid the storms of life, secured by which he
outrides the tempest, and glides peacefully into that harbor,
"where the wicked cease to trouble, and the weary are forever at
rest."

The charity of others may fail, and the tongue of
slander may blast with its sirocco breath the fairest fame; but a
Mason's charity faileth never. "It believeth all things, hopeth
all things, endureth all things;" and when the storm of
execration and hate would come, and with merciless violence sweep
away the last redeeming remnant of good, it casts its broad
mantle over the vices and follies of the erring, and though it
justifieth not, in the midst of wrath, it remembers mercy, and
refers to the decisions of the last day.

While the tongue
of detraction would invade the sanctuary of home, and ruthlessly
disturb even the aches of the dead, by dragging forth its victim
to the floating gaze of the vulgar crowd, outraging all the
principles of a common humanity, the spirit of Masonry forbids
the invasion, and points its anathema against such cowardly acts;
dictating a forbearance and charity which leaves the departed to
his God, and shielding the innocent from the coarse and
vulgar taunts of monsters in the form of men.

Such is the
genius of Masonry. Over all the departments of life it casts a
bright and genial sunshine, seeking with its kindly, voice to
sooth the sorrows and mitigate the woes of mortals. By its soft
hand it wipes away the tear from the helpless widow, takes the
distressed and unprotected orphan into its fold, and wherever
misery lifts its voice of sadness, hies on rapid wings to its
relief. Under its banners may we live, possessed by its spirit
may we die, and with its generations past, may we be gathered to
our fathers, - softly and gently as the night winds fall to the
earth may we pass away.

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